It has been 27 years since HG Bissinger wrote his bestselling book about the Permian Panthers and the town of Odessa, Texas. Not only did it go on to become a major motion picture starring Billy Bob Thornton as coach Gary Gaines in 2004, but it also became a tv series that ran from 2006-2011. The book is about so much more than high school football. Football is the basis, but it is about politics, race, economy, and how the players do off the field as well as on the field. Bissinger moved his family to Odessa for a year to research and write this in depth book on the town and their love of football, and the reader is rewarded with how much effort he put into giving the whole picture. You feel like you know what it is like to be at a Friday night game in 1988, what it might be like to be in the locker room with coach Gaines yelling at you to do better, and the general feel of what it feels like to live in small town Texas with big dreams. I highly recommend this book, even if you don't like football, you may be surprised by how much you like this book!
Here is an interview with the author:
Here is an interview with the author: